(upbeat music) - [Tom] On this episode of UTR, we defy your dentist and feature a bunch of places where you can get some pretty sweet treats.

We'll make some candy, eat some candy, grab some candy and talk to cool confectioners all across the state.

Heck, we'll even show you some candy that will blow your mind.

Get ready to explore the cool sweet tooth pleasing places that make Michigan a great place to be.

(soft music) - [Announcer] The perfect summer has a voice.

If we listen close enough, we can hear it.

It whispers one more game, one more swim, one more round.

And it speaks softly through the cool nights.

Murmuring, one more log.

One more marshmallow.

One more walk along the shore.

The perfect summer is waiting.

The perfect summer is Pure Michigan.

Your Lake trip begins at michigan.org.

- [Announcer] The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to enabling economic prosperity.

The MEDC markets, Michigan, with a focus on growing businesses and building resilient communities in our state.

- [Female Announcer] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard, info@stahlsauto.com.

- [Tom] I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to.

And the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin and this is Under The Radar, Michigan.

(upbeat music) Now, if you're a Candy man like me, or lady, you know that Michigan has enough sensational sweet shops to satisfy all your sweet teeth.

So in honor of your ever-loving high breeze we put together a bonafide candy land special and in a word it's going to be well, really super sweet.

Well, that's three.

That's right, for the next 30 minutes we're going to shelve the savory and celebrate the sweet and show you some places where candy is the main attraction.

So put down your calorie counter and get ready for some flavorful fun.

Because first up we head up to the UP for some Saykllys candy family history.

Now pay attention.

I'd like to see a place that's been making candy longer than Willy Wonka.

And it's right here in Escanaba.

Mike Kubassek and his family have been making great candy here at Saykllys since before TV, household refrigerators, and even me.

On a daily basis, how much candy comes out of here?

- On a daily basis we go through about 2000 pounds of chocolate and about 1000 pounds of inclusions in the chocolate.

- Well, your family has been doing this for how many years now?

- My family personally has been doing it for about 33 years that I took over from my uncle Fred Sayksllys and he was doing it for about 45 to 50 years before his father, Joe Saykllys and he started in 1906.

- Candy has been in the family a long time?

- Yes, it has been in a long time and we're getting good at it now.

- Oh, you think?

you love coming to work everyday?

- Yes, for me, it's not work.

- Oh, you are in candy for god's sake.

- I understand, but I enjoy doing this, that's the other thing.

The hard part is training everybody else to do it right.

- Do you think you can train me?

- Well, we have to still go through a few other stations with you and we'll see what happens.

- Okay, we'll see - If you're trainable.

- Now making candy is something I always thought was done by machines, but I quickly discovered that the good stuff is actually made by hand.

So well, you know me, I had to try my hand at it.

Oh boy.

Ready?

Fletch.

Oh my God.

Wipe it, next next.

- No, no, no, it's got to come over here.

- I'm sorry.

It's I got to put her all the way over there.

Okay, can I lick the spoon?

- No.

- Okay, drop?

(laughing) I would be so tempted if I worked here to just, I'd have chocolate for lunch.

I have chocolate for breakfast.

I'd have chocolate during my break.

Do you ever, do you get chocolate breaks?

Well, I think I've just about mastered the fudge station, now onto dipping.

I should be pretty good at that.

So are you like a professional dipper?

- No.

- Because I'm a professional dip.

(Tim chuckles) So what are you doing here?

You're just, you're you're taking these, what are these?

- Angel food?

This angel food.

And you're just dipping it in the dark chocolate.

- Yeah, you just kind of roll it around, cover it up.

- Right.

It doesn't look difficult except you know what you're doing.

So I'm... Can I let me, I guess they want me to try this?

So I'm going to try it.

Being a dip I was a natural at dipping too.

I just gonna wash my hands now.

(water pouring) Well, as you can see, making candy is not exactly my forte, but eating it, well I'm pretty good at that.

Now next up, we head over to the tiny town of empire at Lake Michigan for a young couple who are pretty sweet, on chocolate that is.

Take a look.

- We're at Grocer's Daughter Chocolates.

Now I know it's a little hard to say, but if you're into chocolate, it's real easy to love.

It's the funky green building that grabs your eyes.

But when you come inside, it's the aromas that will melt your mind.

And that's because DC Hayden and Jodi Dotson are making incredible handcrafted, all natural chocolates.

They love what they do, where they are, and they love sharing their chocolate with the world.

I wanted to start this conversation off by talking about your chocolate, but I first have to ask you about the name of your place.

It's Grocer's daughter Chocolates.

- Yeah.

- Hard to say, but easy to love.

Where did that come from?

- Yeah, our founder, Mimi Wheeler, she is actually the grocer's daughter and her parents owned in Denmark grocery store and they live just above it.

And she is the grocer's daughter.

- Because you just recently bought the business from her.

- That's correct.

Did you guys know anything about making chocolate or you just love chocolate?

- We love chocolate and we've both known Mimi for many, many years.

So I was always a fan of Grocer's Daughter Chocolate So when maybe wanted to retire and she started telling us she was looking for a young couple to take it over.

It just made sense.

- Now your chocolates you say are artisan handmade chocolates but they're all natural - Right, it, it has to do with what we add to the chocolate.

So all chocolate starts off natural.

And then in conventional chocolate, a lot of times we'll add Palm oil or milk solids.

That aren't truly any, there's no dairy in it.

In our chocolate, we add as little additives as possible.

So very little sugar, very little dairy.

And we only add things that compliment the flavor of the chocolate.

So we start with something from South America.

That's really nice.

All of our chocolates from Venezuela, Colombia or Ecuador.

And then we'll add some herbs some local whiskey, something fun.

- I like the whiskey.

- Yeah, me too.

I like the whiskey.

- Local love goes into your chocolate, I love, if you refer to your staff as family, and I can tell, it's almost like you're all brothers and sisters in there.

Why is that?

- I wouldn't have it any other way.

I mean, I feel like if we do one thing well here it's to provide livable wage jobs and build a kind of a model for other businesses to show that you can live comfortably and pay people well.

And I think people are happy here.

I mean, they run this little shop.

We're supporting them.

They know what they're doing.

And so it's our job just to support them and give them a good wage.

- Speaking of being happy.

What makes you happy about this place where you, where you live and you work?

- It's, it's an absolutely beautiful place.

And a lot of people look to mix the employment, finding a job with such a beautiful area.

And we were so fortunate to be able to be here and provide a really wonderful chocolate product and also get to live in such a beautiful area.

- Well, you get to live where other people want to go to vacation.

That's what I always like to say.

You live in paradise.

This is beautiful here.

And the fact that you're employing people, doing something you love and making something I love which is chocolate, it is a total bonus.

- And it's our community too, our community cares about where the food comes from.

So I really love that.

I love that Mimi our founder built this business as a community center.

And so we have this legacy of providing really great chocolate to a community that loves it.

And so it's a sweet thing.

We wanna keep doing that.

- Sweet thing, pun intended, right?

(all laughing) So if you're looking for a classic little Michigan town where you can kick back enjoy the views, feel the love and taste some incredible chocolates, roll into Empire, roll out your beach towel and stop by Grocer's Daughter Chocolates.

It's proof positive that the Leelanau Peninsula is a sweet place to be.

Now in this next segment, we head to Bay City for more candy history and actual candy than you can shake a pinata at and a fair warning, you're going to see me wearing a hairnet...

So, viewer discretion is advised.

Handmade chocolate, fresh roasted nuts, candy, caramel corn, and ice cream.

Well, now that I've got your attention, it's time to talk about some Bay City history and how sweet it is.

For generations, folks have counted on the St. Laurent Bros. candy store to satisfy every sweet tooth in town.

Heck, they've been a candy covered icon here for over 100 years.

And when Steve Fly and Keith Whitney bought the place in the 80's, they decided to carry on that tradition.

And as Steve will tell you their sweet success is something he lives for.

You know, on this show.

I always say as a joke, "Wow, your business goes all the way back to the 1900."

But your business goes back to the almost the 1800s, right?

- 1904, is when he first started St. Laurent Bros. - So this candy store has been on this corner for well over a hundred years.

- Yep, 112 I do believe.

- And for one I understand the street was different back then, this was a whole different, what was it called?

- Hell's Half Mile.

And there was a reason for that.

- Kind of the wild West in Bay City.

- Yep, lots of lumberjacks, lots of liquor places.

Lots of houses of ill repute.

- Right, I understand the fourth floor here was... - We had shot at the cat house, so to speak.

(Tom laughs) - Why do you think this place has stood the test of time?

- We've had a, it's fast family service who had a very very good luck with employees.

We've had a very loyal Bay City bay and it's worked for us.

We haven't expanded a lot but downtown has improved almost yearly since we've been here.

And if you look around there's 14 restaurants and new paving and new lights and new shops opening up it's been very good.

- Oh, the streets a lot calmer now than it was back in those days.

- Lot calmer, lot safer.

(Steve laughs) - Well, what's the sweetest thing about being in Bay City?

- The people, people, the Bay City is very community oriented.

It's all the good things of a small town with a little bit of big town flavor, so.

- Well I promised my wife I'd bring her some mallow cups.

You got some?

- we can make that happen.

Yes.

- Well enough conversing about candy.

It's time to get my hands dirty, so to speak.

So Steve took us way back in time and up in the old original elevator to where his number one candy creator worked.

Yep, this is where Dana Sporman makes her magic.

First question, how come you get a nice apron and I get this plastic one?

I don't know really the answer to that, sorry.

- That's good because I don't even know why I asked it.

So what are we making today?

Because I understand you're a fourth degree chocolate here.

So what are we making?

- We're going to make peanut clusters.

- Oh, one of my favorites, okay.

So what do you do first?

- We open this up and all the chocolate in here.

- It's a chocolate waterfall, yeah.

- And then you're going to add my peanuts.

- How many peanuts do you need?

- That's good right there.

- Where di I put them?

- Right in the middle of the chocolate.

They're gonna be a few more.

- A few more you realize I'm a chocoholic.

I do have a problem with this... - And then we kind of mix them up.

- Just a single serving size?

- This is going to make several clusters.

- Oh, okay.

How am I doing on the, the peanut delivery system?

- You are doing great.

And then you just take a few.

Yes, I'm watching, I'm paying attention.

(Dana chuckles) - And you kind of push it off with your thumb on your... - You make that look so easy, each one is uniform, Perfect and it looks delicious.

- Are you going to try now?

- You want me to try it?

- Yeah.

- No way, okay.

Well, it was time for me to get in the proverbial hot seat or hot chocolate seat that is.

And this is where I once again found out that some things are best left to the experts.

Mine may not have looked as good as Dana's but I guarantee they tasted as good as a matter of fact.

So did my fingers.

If you're looking for a good confection connection in Bay City, St. Lawrence Bros. has everything you, your kids and probably your grandkids will ever need.

Because as we all know, candy is timeless.

Well, speaking of timeless it's now time to tickle your sweet tooth in an awesome town called Marine City where a candy store caught my attention, rickety-split.

Get ready for a hard right turn.

Oh candy huh-huh.

The Sweet Tooth Candy shop is right downtown and owner Todd May is like the Willy Wonka of Marine city.

- Back when I was young, we had a candy store in town, almost like this.

And the gentleman that ran it, you know you got you a little bag, he went behind the counter, you got to get you your candy.

And the inspiration of the store was, you know to really have that old fashioned feel again.

And the candies that you could get when you were a kid but you can't get anywhere else.

You know, it's things that you don't see normally.

- Speaking of things you don't see normally, you have some very unconventional stuff here too.

Tell me about some of the stuff in the case I saw over there.

- The case over there, I mean, we have toggle covered bacon.

Either you love it or you hate it.

Your brain says no way but your taste buds say this is pretty darn good.

What do you love about living in this town, Marine City?

- You know what?

I've lived here all my life.

I'm a seventh generation kid here.

So it's just that hometown feel.

It's a nice town.

- I'm gonna need some extra candy 'cause I think I'm wearing Scott out.

So, yeah.

- Wear them out.

- Well, if we learned from Verruca Salt, you do what the candy man says.

- Hey Scott, you got room in that bag for these lollipops there for my son.

He's 22.

He loves lollipops, Scott.

Okay, maybe it's time to take another email break.

Now don't worry about my friends Scott, he recovered fully and got lots of candy and speaking of lots of candy, here's an iconic confectioner who helped make Michigan such a sweet place to grow up, pun intended.

Well, just to be gastronomically correct.

We saved dessert for last.

And when it comes to sweet treats Michigan's own Sanders is a home grown sensation.

Wait a minute, or is it Saunders?

Sanders, Saunders, no matter how you grew up saying it, we all knew exactly what it meant.

Incredible cakes, candies and dessert toppings.

For over 140 years, Sanders has been a Detroit and family tradition that's made living here so much sweeter.

Today, thanks to Michigan's own Morley candy company.

Sanders is making a huge comeback and many of Sander's original family favorites are back on the shelves and back in our hearts.

To help me wrap my head around this collection of confections.

And hopefully my hands around some chocolate, is VP of manufacturing, Mike Cook.

So you've been here 43 years?

- Yes, I have been.

- You're probably as close to the candy man as I'm ever gonna get.

So I got to ask you something.

you got to settle the debate for me.

- All right.

- Is it Sanders or Saunders?

- It's Sanders, there is no U in it.

- I was right.

- You know what?

We don't care how you pronounce it.

as long as you enjoy our products.

- Now, Sanders was way back.

But so does Morley, I mean Morley is now is bringing back the Sanders brand.

- Correct, the Morley brand has been around since 1919, Sanders since 1875.

- Right, that's when Fred Sanders opened his first chocolate shop?

- Correct, exactly.

And you know, he brought into the United States and into the Detroit area, a lot of great confections.

And he was really the first person that, and there's some debate about it, that he may have made the first ice cream soda.

- Well, back in the forties, fifties and sixties I mean the Sanders lunch counters the Sanders stores everywhere.

They were iconic.

I mean, everybody would go there to eat.

- Yes.

- It was like a family treat when he got to go there.

- Exactly.

- And I actually read that his old machines, the motors on the old machines were made by Thomas Edison.

- By Thomas Edison and Fred Sanders and Henry Ford were good friends.

And Henry Ford used to come and help.

Fred Sanders when the equipment would break down and fix it for him.

So there is a great connection in the Metro Detroit area between, you know a lot of the iconic brands that are here, between Ford Motor and Sanders.

And you know, there's a few years, you know, 10, 15 years ago where the Sanders brand kind of faded away a little bit and we've been fortunate to be able to bring it back.

And we hear those stories all the time of people's childhoods and the memories they have.

And you know, we're looking at helping the next generation grow those memories.

- Well, thank goodness for Morley candies because they're helping keep that legacy going.

Like I said, there are two great stories two great iconic brands.

Now this, the candy factory here is absolutely incredible.

I understand this salted caramel machine goes around the clock?

- It goes pretty much around the clock.

You know, right now we're running two shifts a day, 16 hours a day.

But we do have the ability to run 24 hours a day.

And in a given day, you know, we have the ability to cook 30 plus thousand pounds of Carmel a day.

- Wow, and I understand some of these pipes running around, they actually have chocolate running for this?

- Yes, we have, we have multiple tanks of chocolate in the building.

We have the, the ability to have about 40,000 pounds of melted chocolate at any given time.

And it's flowing through the various pipes to all of our various machines.

- That's amazing.

I wish you could smell it in here because just walking in here, I mean, we're all going to go home smelling like chocolate.

Hey, we'll be popular with our families.

- That's right.

- Well, I mean, you've been here 43 years, so you're steeped in this.

You're almost zipped in this stuff.

- Pretty much so.

- So what does it mean to you personally, to carry on the sanders.

- You know, to carry on the Sanders name.

It's, it's a wonderful tradition that we have here.

We're very fortunate to have been able to purchase the Sanders brand and to be able to bring back those memories you know, frequently I tell people, you go to the grocery store because you have to eat but our customers come to the candy store because they want to enjoy themselves.

And it's, it's bringing that enjoyment to the customers seeing the smiles on the kids' faces.

That's what makes it all worthwhile.

I got to ask you honestly, does Lily Walker ever call you for advice?

- Well, you know, once in a while.

- I knew it.

For decades Sanders slogan has been, "Chocolates Worth Sharing."

Well, I got news for you.

Once I crack into a box, that'll be a tough thing to do.

Nope, sorry, no way.

And while we were there.

Awesome Anna Lisa Weiss showed me how to properly prepare one of Sander's iconic, hot fudge cream puffs.

Take a look.

I would like one of your iconic cream puffs please.

- Oh, okay, what kind of ice cream would you like?

- First of all, did you go to iconic cream puff preparer school?

Just to make sure you're legitimate?

- I was properly trained, but I'm professor mouth.

It's been about five years.

- Yeah, I like vanilla ice cream, so yeah.

How do you do this?

- Okay, first I'm going to get a cream puff.

- That's the cream puff petolian.

- And then I'm gonna break it in half.

- Okay, oh, wow.

Look, there's no inside.

That's awesome.

- Then We're going to fill it with ice cream.

- Okay.

- I'm just gonna open here.

- Tell me, how many of these do heat a day?

- I try not to tell people.

- Well, you can tell me.

I won't tell anybody.

- One's about enough, it's pretty big.

- Okay, so they've been serving these since like way back in the 1900s 1800s actually.

Did you know Fred Sanders personally?

- No, I didn't.

I'm old, but not that old.

- Oh gotcha, okay.

Now you put on the... - we're gonna top it with some hot fudge here.

- Yes.

- Because more the merrier, right?

- Yes.

- And then you put the top on it.

- Okay, and then more fudge?

- And then more fudge.

- That's not only iconic, it's decadent.

- And then there you have it.

- Awesome can I have some ice cream on it?

- Would you like ice cream?

(both laughs) - You're reading my mind.

Oh yes, oh my gosh.

Can I have that?

(Anna chuckles) - No, I can't give this away, sorry.

This is homemade.

- Yes, I'll tell you when.

(Anna laughs) Okay, well thank you so much.

- You're welcome.

- I'll be in my trailer.

- Would you like a spoon?

No, I won't need one.

(Anna laughs) Just imagining chocolate running through pipes... That's one place where I would not mind being a plumber.

Now, if you can take it, we got a couple more places in Frankenmuth that your sweet tooth might want to try.

Take a look.

Now here's a couple of official UTR travel tips for you.

If you're in town with some tots or your adult sweet tooth is target at ya.

Don't forget to stop by Rau's Country Store right downtown.

They've got a cool eclectic collection of well, everything not to mention an incredible array of classic candies that'll make you feel like Andy's your uncle and you grew up in Mayberry.

Another sweet place to slide into is The Frankenmuth Taffy Kitchen.

Yes honey, I'll bring some home.

They've got brittle, fudge, popcorn and yes 23 fantastic flavors of fresh water taffy.

Heck you can even watch him making it.

Wow, looks like lubber, but taste?

Oh, so good, hmm, so good.

Now, they say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, while there was enough sugar in this episode to swallow whole piano which by the way is not recommended.

Anyway, thanks again for watching our first ever Super Sweet Candy Land special.

It was so much fun making it and we got to eat.

(phone rings) Hold on my phone.

Oh, there it is.

Hello?

Hi, yeah, yes, hi doc?

It's my dentist.

Yeah, I know.

I know it was probably, wasn't a good idea.

I know it's a lot of candy.

I know, I know.

I know I'm overdue.

Yeah, Thursday no.

I'm busy through the summer.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Yeah, well I... Aha, oh boy.

Okay, sorry.

Yeah, I know.

Sorry.

(soft upbeat music) - [Announcer] The perfect summer has a voice.

If we listen close enough, we can hear it.

It whispers one more game.

One more swim, one more round.

And it speaks softly through the cool nights.

Murmuring, one more log, one more marshmallow, One more walk along the shore.

The perfect summer is waiting.

The perfect summer is Pure Michigan.

Your Lake trip begins at michigan.org.

- [Announcer] The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to enabling economic prosperity.

The MEDC markets Michigan with the focus on growing businesses and building resilient communities in our state, - [Female Announcer] a visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs and automated music machines dating back 150 years.

That must be seen and heard info at stahlsauto.com.

(upbeat music)